Al-Faw
Al-Faw
ٱلْفَاو Fao | |
|---|---|
The Shatt al-Arab | |
South-East Iraq with Al-Faw in the lower right corner of the map | |
Al-Faw Al-Faw | |
| Coordinates: 29°58′33″N 48°28′20″E / 29.97583°N 48.47222°E | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Governorate | Al-Basrah |
| District | Al-Faw District |
| Population (2018) | |
• City | 42,252 |
| • Urban | 35,836 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (GMT +3) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+4 |
| Postal code | 61011 |
Al-Fāw (Arabic: ٱلْفَاو; sometimes transliterated as Fao) is a port town on Al-Faw Peninsula in Iraq near the Shatt al-Arab and the Persian Gulf. The Al Faw Peninsula is part of the Basra Governorate. Al-Faw is located about 100 kilometers from the provincial capital, Basra, and has a population of approximately 52,000 people.
Until 1960, Al-Faw was part of Abu al-Khasib District, before being established as an independent district on August 30, 1960. The city is known for its marine products such as fish, shrimp, and salt, as well as for cultivating henna and date palms, the latter of which declined significantly due to the military and economic conflicts that lasted for 23 years under the rule of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The people of Al-Faw, like other residents of Basra, speak an Iraqi Arabic dialect similar to that of Kuwait, where the letter jīm (ج) is often pronounced as yā (ي), for example, the word rajul (man) is pronounced rayyāl.
The city’s climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, humid winters. Its location at the head of the Gulf gives it significant economic importance in Iraq, both agriculturally and commercially, as it serves as a port for oil exports. Most of the city’s inhabitants depend on fishing for their livelihood.